System, method and medium for acquiring and generating standardized operator independent ultrasound images of fetal, neonatal and adult organs

• US 8,083,678 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Original Assignee: Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Inventors: Abuhamad, Alfred Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOFFA, ANGELA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/089,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,468 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/441, 600/443, 600/445, 600/447, 600/461, 128/916, 128/922, 345/427
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

A system, method and medium for standardizing a manner of acquisition and display of ultrasound images. In one embodiment of the invention, a volumetric image of an organ is acquired in a standardized manner. Relationships such as formulas are utilized to automatically generate anatomical planes of interest within the volume that can be displayed independent of the user.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing sonography equipment to acquire and display at least one anatomic plane of an organ, comprising:

moving an ultrasonic transducer to obtain an ultrasound image of a reference anatomic plane of the organ; and

using at least one predetermined spatial mathematical relationship, wherein the predetermined spatial mathematical relationship is determined using at least a regression model of gestational age, and relating the reference anatomic plane and the at least one anatomic plane to retrieve and display the at least one anatomic plane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the organ is a fetal heart.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reference anatomic plane comprises at least one of a pulmonary artery, a three vessel view, a left ventricular outflow tract, a ductal arch, a venous connection, and an aortic arch.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least two opposing sides of an image acquisition boundary are respectively placed outside a first surface and a second surface of fetal skin.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one rib of a fetus appears on opposing sides of the image acquisition boundary.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising utilizing an acquisition angle sufficiently wide so an image within the image acquisition boundary comprises a view of the stomach inferiorly and the lower neck superiorly of the fetus.

7. A method for utilizing sonography equipment to acquire and display an ultrasound image of a fetal abdomen, comprising:

moving an ultrasonic transducer to obtain an ultrasound image of an axial view of a fetal abdomen at a level of a anatomic plane of an abdominal circumference;

opening an acquisition box of the image so the fetal abdomen is contained within the box;

utilizing an acquisition angle sufficiently wide so the acquired image data comprises a view of a sacrum inferiorly and a diaphragm superiorly; and

using at least one predetermined spatial mathematical relationship, wherein the predetermined spatial mathematical relationship is determined using at least a regression model of gestational age, and relating the anatomic planes to retrieve and display one or more planes of interest of the fetal abdomen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one rib of the fetus appears on opposing sides of the image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two opposing sides of the acquisition box boundaries are respectively placed just outside a first surface and a second surface of fetal skin.

10. A method for utilizing sonography equipment to acquire and display an ultrasound image of a fetal head, comprising:

moving an ultrasonic transducer to obtain an ultrasound image of an axial view of a fetal head at a level of a anatomical plane of a level of lateral ventricles;

opening an acquisition box of the image so the fetal head is contained within the box;

utilizing an acquisition angle sufficiently wide so the acquired image data comprises a view of an upper spine inferiorly and a top of the fetal head superiorly; and

using at least one spatial predetermined mathematical relationship, wherein the predetermined spatial mathematical relationship is determined using at least a regression model of gestational age, and relating the anatomic planes to retrieve and display one or more planes of interest of the fetal head.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least two opposing sides of the acquisition box boundaries are respectively placed just outside a first surface and a second surface of a fetal skull.

12. A method for utilizing sonography equipment to acquire and display at least one anatomic plane of a neonatal organ, comprising:

moving an ultrasonic transducer to obtain an ultrasound image of a reference anatomic plane of the neonatal organ; and

using at least one predetermined spatial mathematical relationship, wherein the predetermined spatial mathematical relationship is determined using at least a regression model of gestational age, and relating the reference anatomic plane and the least one anatomic plane to retrieve and display the at least one anatomic plane of the neonatal organ.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the neonatal organ is a head.

14. A method for utilizing sonography equipment to acquire and display at least one anatomic plane of a three dimensional ultrasound image in real time, comprising:

moving an ultrasonic transducer to obtain an ultrasound image of a reference anatomic plane of an organ; and

using at least one predetermined spatial mathematical relationship, wherein the predetermined spatial mathematical relationship is determined using at least a regression model of gestational age, and relating the reference anatomic plane and the at least one anatomic plane to retrieve and display in real time the at least one anatomic plane.